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Dalton McGuinty's autism record

TORONTO, Sept. 25 /CNW/ - Dalton McGuinty continues to try and cover up
his shameful record when it comes to getting children with autism the support
and treatment they need - which is what he promised them in 2003.
Here are the facts:
- In April 2005, Dalton McGuinty chose to appeal a ruling of the Ontario
Superior Court that the age cut off for IBI treatment violated the
constitutional rights of children with autism (Woodstock Sentinel-
Review, April 6, 2005).
- Dalton McGuinty then took NDP MPP Shelley Martel to court when she
tried to find out how much the Ontario government spent on the court
case. This was after Dalton McGuinty fought Martel's freedom of
information request and was told by the Information and Privacy
Commissioner that he had to release the information (Globe and Mail,
March 14, 2007).
- And if all of that wasn't bad enough, Dalton McGuinty tried to force
the parents of children with autism to pay for the government's $85,000
legal bill for the court case that he chose to continue in April 2005
(Toronto Star, June 11, 2007).
- Meanwhile, the waiting list for autism treatment has grown from 89 in
early 2004 to nearly 1,100 children as of August 2007 (Toronto Star,
January 19, 2007, Timmins Daily Press, August 18, 2007).
Access to a waiting list isn't access to treatment, Dalton.
Today, Dalton McGuinty issued a bizarre press release in which he claims
he's "directed school boards to prepare schools to deliver IBI therapy on
site."
In fact, the very opposite is true, as witnessed by the March 1, 2007
memo from Ben Levin, Deputy Minister of Education that made it very clear
Dalton McGuinty would not be offering IBI in Ontario's schools?
"Based upon your work and in support of the recommendations of the
reference group the Ministry will soon release a PPM on the use of
Applied Behavioural analysis (ABA) in schools. The focus of this PPM will
be ABA teaching practices and not Intensive Behavioural Intervention
(IBI)...."
Dalton McGuinty couldn't be trusted in 2003. Why would the parents of
autistic children trust him in 2007?
Leadership Matters.